The Healthy Diet »

Solid supplementary are given at 2nd stage i.e when child starts cutting teeth, solid supplements can be given. In turn these are of two types :

1. Soft Mashed Foods
2. Unmashed Foods

(A) SOFT MASHED FOODS
These foods are started near 7th-8th month of life. At this time child is already having milk, fruit juices, Cod liver oil, vegetable soups, etc. When solid food is started it can be cooked cereal with little milk and sugar having gruel like consistency or it can be a boiled mashed potato where a little salt and butter may be added. These things usually provide energy for actively growing child.

All the vegetables specially leafy vegetables can be cooked in small amount of water or mashed in case of skinned and seeded fruits or vegetables, only pulp is used whereas skin and seeds are discarded.

A hard boiled egg yolk can also be given initially. Only 1/4 yolk is enough which may be increased gradually. It has important blood forming materials. Lately egg white is also started; whole egg may be poached or soft boiled or scrambled when child is almost 1 year old.

A spoonful of ripe mashed banana is very good and very easily digestible, amount is increased to full one banana.

All fruits can be stewed and sieved with addition of little sugar and lime juice to enhance the taste and flavour. Also, lime juice will increase the ascorbic acid content.

Finally minced and cooked meats, cooked and mashed fish, mashed pulses etc, can be given. It should be taken care of that all above mentioned foods can be given to the child and it is not necessary to give all the foods in a day. While selecting the food stuff, mothers must see that they must give importance to a balanced diet.

(B) SOLID SUPPLEMENTS (UNMASHED)
When child has started cutting teeth he must be given solid food. In this there is no need of pureeing vegetables and fruits but these can be chopped nicely. In the same way instead of grinding meat well cooked minced meat is good soft cooked rice and chapatties can be given. It is usually seen that in practice, bakery products are given more importance i.e. biscuits, breads etc.

Chewing the food is very good for the child as it is a good exercise for his gums for new teeth to grow. It is very good for a child to eat raw segments of fruits & raw carrots etc. as it has a double fold advantage. First is that it works as exercise for gums and on the other hand it is good for digestion as these add bulk to the diet.

Along with all the things mothers should not forget to give water to the child 23 times a day. Water given should be boiled and cooled. In hot weather quantity of water given can be increased. The solid introduction was earliest in Calcutta. In Hyderabad and Poona solids were introduced very late. About 25% of children in these areas are not given solid supplement even at the age of 21/2 years.

(C) FOOD PREFERENCES DURING ILLNESS OF CHILD
During illness generally liquid or semi-fluid and bland sloppy foods are given. Usual solid foods, rice, biscuits etc. are avoided.

(D) POINTS TO REMEMBER about feeding
A Mothers must take care of some important points while feeding their children
(1) Introduces only one food at a time, allow the infant to become familiar with the food before trying to give another.
(2) While trying any new food sty
(3) When you start solid foods start from very thin consistency. As in the beginning , child does not know how to propel the food.
(4) Never force an infant to eat mass of a food.
(5) If child has disliking for any food than omit that item one to tow week than try it again. If still he doesn't like don't give that food
(6) Children's food should not given spicy but still a little salt must be added.
(7) When child starts cutting teeth then start giving finely chopped fruits and vegetables. (8) Infants may object to taking some foods by themselves but will take them willingly if they are mixed with another food.

(E) POINTS TO REMEMBER ABOUT FEEDING
Mothers must take care of some important points while feeding their children:
(1) Introduces only one food at a time. Allow the infant to become familiar with that food before trying to give another
(2) While trying any new food start from very small amounts.
(3) When you start solid foods start from very thin consistency. As in the beginning child does not know how to propel) the food.
(4) Never force an infant to eat mass of a food.
(5) If child has disliking for any food then omit that item for 1-2 weeks and then try it again. If still he doesn't like don't give that food.
(6) Children's food should not be too spicy but still a little salt must be added.
(7) When child starts cutting teeth then start giving finely chopped fruits and vegetables. (8) Infants may object to taking some foods by themselves but will take them willingly if they are mixed with another food.

Rate of growth between 2-4 years is comparatively slower than that of the infant or the baby between 1 and 2 years of age. During the second year the child usually shows a drop in appetite because his food needs may actually be less, now that the rate of gain is less rapid. With the use of liquid or dried milk in other foods i.e. soups, creamed dishes during the period when the child stubbernly refuse to milk. His interest can be increased in the drink changing taste and flavour of milk by adding cocoa, colour, squash, molasses, flavouring agents.

A quantity which child takes usually depends upon his size and activity. In the beginning child should be given small amounts, after that if he finishes, then only he should be given more. Parents should not force the child to have food.

Mothers must know the importance of balanced diet. Child should be given foods from all the food stuff. Meal planning should be very good and quantities

suggested should also be proper. Feeding of different meals at fixed timings should not be rigid as child tries to copy the environment and hence his feeding hours also depends upon the feeding hours of the family. At the same time there should be some regularities in meal time and the interval between the successive feeds should neither be too short nor too long. At times in between two feeds he demands some things to eat. At that time he should not be stopped but he must be given some small light snacks to meet the nutritional needs and at the same time the snacks should not be too filling.

Children under 5 years of age should not be given over pungent curries and highly spiced dishes. Fried or roasted foods of any kind are difficult to digest and their appetite is lost. Excess sugar, sweet foods and sweet meats also causes indigestion. Tea, coffee and other stimulants are also harmful for children.